Student Participates In USNSCC TrainingEmma S. is a tenth-grader participating in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC). She has been partaking in the leadership portion for only 10 days, but has been in training for three years.She has been to Great Lakes, Ill., Centerville Mills, Ohio, and Cleveland for her training. Emma went to boot camp at RTC Great Lakes, which is the hardest obstacle she has had to overcome. Emma chuckled when looking back on boot camp because she said that she was one of the very few girls who did not cry. There are nine other high school students who are learning along with Emma, and one other student who lives in Geauga County.The requirements to participate in the USNSCC are that one has to be at least 13 years old, yet have not have completed the senior year in high school. To participate in the Navy League, one has to be 10 years of age. Also, one has to be unmarried, enrolled in school, a citizen and be an excellent example of a student with moral character, which consists of maintaining a clean criminal record and ready to attend drills regularly. One must be interested in the program, pass a medical exam, which is very similar to a physical for sports, and have parental consent.Even through all the involvement with the program, she has maintained outstanding grades because she said that it does not interfere with school. Emma saves one weekend out of each month for the training.After attending high school, she would either like to use her training to be three pay grades higher than anybody who did not join in on the program or use it for a scholarship for nursing.Animals Visit Sixth GradeAs part of their study of biodiversity of living things, sixth-grade students at Cardinal Middle School had a visit from three permanent residents of the Lake Metroparks Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center, a part of Penitentiary Glen Reservation. Wildlife staff member Rebecca Moseley showed students an eastern cottontail rabbit, a black rat snake and a barred owl.Students participated in a food web activity where they observed how webs are affected by changes in the ecosystem. Students also learned about the differences in physiology among the three types of animals.In the days that followed, students dissected owl pellets to find out what an owl’s favorite food is and where the owl lives based upon where the prey lived. From the pellet contents, students could tell how healthy the ecosystem is. Finally, since the contents of the pellets are rodents, the student studied the mammal skeletons, observing skulls and jawbones as well as joints such as ball and socket and hinges. Students compared a bird skeleton to a mammal skeleton to determine how they were similar and different.